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Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

4.67 from 3 ratings
Prep
10 mins
Cook
25 mins
Pressure Release
15 mins
Total
35 mins
Makes
3 servings

Ingredients

Dry seasonings:

Instructions

  1. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pressure cooker pot. Place a trivet inside with the handles resting on the sides of the pot.

  2. Clean the chicken and remove any giblets. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

  3. Brush or rub olive oil over the chicken breast, legs, and wings. In a mixing bowl, combine dry seasonings and mix well. Rub the seasoning mix over the oiled chicken.

  4. Place the chicken on top of the trivet in the pot, breast side up. Evenly distribute chopped onions on top of the chicken.

  5. Secure the lid and seal the vent. Cook for 25 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.

  6. Uncover and use the trivet’s handles to carefully lift the chicken out of the pot. Carve up the chicken and place the meat on a serving platter. Spoon liquid from the pot over the sliced chicken and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Makes 3 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 500 (65% from fat)
Total Fat 36g 55%
   Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 910mg 38%
Net Carb 3.5g
Total Carb 4g 1%
   Dietary Fiber 0.5g 3%
   Sugars 1.5g
Protein 42g
Vitamin A 8% · Vitamin C 7% · Calcium 1% · Iron 14%

NOTES & TIPS

The recipe assumes a store-bought whole chicken weighing 4.5 – 5 pounds, fresh not frozen, and the appropriate cooking time is 25 minutes at high pressure followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release. If you can’t find a whole chicken in that weight range, you can modify the recipe’s pressure cooking time using this rule of thumb: add or subtract 6 minutes of pressure cooking for every pound. So if your chicken is 5.5 – 6 pounds, the pressure cooking time should be 31 minutes. If you’re using frozen chicken, you’ll need 10 minutes of pressure cooking for every pound. For example, a 4 pound chicken would need 40 minutes of pressure cooking. When you’re looking for a whole chicken at the supermarket, note that either a “broiler” or “roaster” chicken is fine — just pay attention to the weight. Anything too large may not fit in your pressure cooker. I use a 6 quart Instant Pot and I wouldn’t buy a chicken heavier than 5 pounds. The nutrition estimate above assumes that a 4.5-5 lb chicken has about 25 ounces of edible meat from the breast, legs, and wings.